Visitor Car Parks across the North York Moors
Extending the signage scheme developed for Danby Lodge
Following the success of our signage scheme at Danby Lodge Visitor Centre and, more recently, Sutton Bank Visitor Centre, we were asked to develop visitor orientation and information for twelve of the National Park authority car parks across the moors
Mike Foster
(Maltings)
There are three separate car parks at Sutton Bank forming a triangle around the visitor centre hub. Resolving the issues of both vehicular and pedestrian orientation together with the ongoing problem of diminished revenue due to non-payment of parking charges was a key part of the client brief. We introduced large, visible totem signs to which were fixed small, update-able tariff boards. These were sited adjacent to pay machines to enhance visibility, together with reminder messaging at pedestrian exit points. A significant uptick in receipts moved the NPA to ask that we look at their many stand-alone car parks which are dotted around the North York Moors - in towns, villages, and adjacent to walks and beauty spots.
An audit of the existing signs across the four largest car parks revealed a number of issues. Clearly they would benefit from the improvements made at Sutton Bank, but we also noted that welcome and pedestrian orientation signage was either worn and in poor condition, not appropriately placed or simply not sufficient to ensure confident exploration. Additionally, we felt that these car parks were a wasted opportunity to promote other NPA sites across the North York Moors and also to share the good work that the NPA does to protect and conserve the area. We adapted the various signage designs we developed for the two visitor centres, including very highly specified fingerposts, low level orientation signs and other interventions. We reduced the physical structure of the orientation signs by about 15% to reflect the fact that these sites are smaller, and imposed different colourways taken from the brand palette to improve contrast and visibility. The size and style of graphic content and layout was unchanged, and welcome signs were identical to those designed for the two visitor centres, reinforcing visual recognition of NPA ownership of these sites.
The Pay & Display totem signs were the same as those developed for Sutton Bank, re-purposing the existing posts used for the original parking tariff boards where possible. Adjacent to these at the pay machine sites we developed ‘Information Points’. These signs are structurally identical to the Pay & Display signs, but they carry ‘Don’t miss’ information about each site, together with a ‘Looking after…’ panel about the work of the NPA offering a QR donation opportunity, a ‘Have you visited…’ panel promoting two other nearby sites, and two lockable A4 display cases to advertise special events and activities. The two panels are update-able and interchangeable - screw-fixed to the front face of the ‘Information Point’ and each following a template cutter. The NPA rangers can quickly change the tariff boards to apply seasonal pricing, and similarly refresh the Information Points to promote differing aspects of their work and places to visit.
Good information and orientation signage schemes should be developed to work as hard as they possibly can. They are the ‘silent voice’ of the organisation that commissions them, so it is imperative that they enhance the lives of the public that use them - whether to facilitate safe and easy exploration or to improve visitor experience by introducing events, activities and new things to see and do. They can also promote the less visible yet no less essential roles of such organisations, encourage responsible behaviour, care of environment, and a sense of pride in a place. Similarly, specifying durable, low maintenance materials ensures that the signs look their best for the longest possible time, doing their job well and maintaining that all important good impression.
Maltings are members of the following professional organisations: Association for Heritage Interpretation, Group for Education in Museums, and Association of Illustrators.
